The Shires, The Sage, Gateshead

17 April, 2015

Written by
Lee Hammond

Tonight sees The Shires roll into Gateshead on the crest of a wave, having broken the Top Ten with their debut. It's no surprise that this beautiful hall is packed to the rafters as we arrive as support John and Jacob are closing out their set. These two guys exude the spirit of Nashville and unsurprisingly they’re closing out with a track that was featured in the Nashville TV show.

As we kick ourselves wishing that we had been there earlier, the stage is reset for The Shires to make their entrance. They’re at the forefront of a country invasion in the UK, and borne off the back of the TV show , this duo has perfected some incredible tracks all of which are on show this evening.

'Nashville Grey Skies' is beautiful, and does really highlight their country sound. For some people it seems to be odd that these guys are British but they do make it quite apparent, the track 'Made In England' really highlights their pride in their home country.

It is quite clear to see why these guys have shot to such popularity so quickly; they have a really accessible and interesting sound. 'State Lines' brings proceedings down a notch, yet it only goes to highlight the beauty and the depth in this duos lyrics. There’s an obvious leaning toward American themes which runs throughout the evening.

Yet the stand out track for us this evening, is the wonderful 'Brave' this over excited crowd are completely hushed as they mesmerise us all with their incredible talents. The track itself is so delicate and so sweet, perhaps one of the most touching moments we’ve experienced in a while.

In a music industry crammed so full of bluster, and generic singer songwriter boredom, The Shires are offering something completely different and unique in the current popular scene, we’re sure that this will not remain that way for long. For us it was an adventure outside of our normal comfort zone, yet one we relished and truly enjoyed, these guys are currently honing their craft but it wont be long before they’re in considerably larger venues.